US riots warning for Beehive

Just after questions raised about security, a man attacks Parliament doors with an axe

Asecurity analyst says the storming of the US Capitol highlights a potentially serious risk to New Zealand’s Parliament. Public agencies since Monday have failed to answer any questions about security at Wellington’s Parliamentary precinct in light of the US Capitol attack.

Shortly after the Herald began asking experts about security risks, an axe-wielding man attacked Parliament and smashed glass doors.

Dr Paul Buchanan said he hoped New Zealand security agencies were taking last week’s attacks in Washington DC seriously.

“The key is that a small group of organised provocateurs can [overwhelm] a lightly armed police force trying to defend a relatively large piece of real estate.”

Buchanan said avoiding complacency and using intelligence more competently could help.

“The good thing is, the intelligence was there that there’d be an assault on the Capitol. But it was ignored by the political appointees in the Trump administration.”

Buchanan said New Zealand’s public service and security agencies were less politicised, so the risk of collusion with any seditious protest group was probably smaller than in the US.

But he added: “We know that there are elements in the police and the armed forces that hold extremist views. Lest we think we’re in a benign security environment, we’re not.”

National security expert and Army veteran Dr Jim Rolfe said New Zealand’s political culture was less polarised than America’s.

He said domestic divisions over the Vietnam war in the 1960s and the Springbok tour of 1981 had no current parallels.

“This becomes a major issue if there are those cultural identity splits,” said Rolfe, a former security adviser to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

He did not believe a copycat attack on the Beehive was a major risk but expected officials in security agencies to be studying the issue closely.

The NZ Security Intelligence Service assessed the terrorism threat level for New Zealand as medium.

According to the threat level system, this meant “a terrorist attack is feasible and could well occur”.

An Auckland man accused of smashing the glass doors at the entrance of Parliament appeared in court yesterday — in a rarely used secure basement courtroom.

In unusual circumstances, media were not able to be present for the hearing due to the size and layout of the secure room.

Judge Bill Hastings had the matter held there due to security reasons.

Police officers were called to Parliament yesterday morning after a man was seen with an axe outside.

Photos at the scene show the two main glass doors smashed as shattered pieces of glass litter the ground.

Two side panels also show signs of an attempt to smash them in.

The 31-year-old was granted interim name suppression by Judge Hastings. The man is listed as living in Auckland and is charged with resisting police, intentional damage with reckless disregard to parliamentary property, and possessing an offensive weapon in public.